Mass coral bleaching events from warming oceans destroy the habitat fish depend on for shelter, food, and reproduction, causing widespread welfare harm across entire reef fish communities.
Reef fish communities dependent on coral structure experience acute habitat loss following bleaching events. Fish that depend on specific coral species for shelter are particularly vulnerable — species-specific habitat loss leaves them exposed to predation. Juvenile fish unable to find shelter after settlement face much higher mortality. The chronic deterioration of reef structure over repeated bleaching events creates a landscape of increasing vulnerability for all fish communities. Climate mitigation is the only effective welfare intervention for reef fish at scale.